Journal of gastrointestinal surgery : official journal of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract
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J. Gastrointest. Surg. · Jan 2013
Visceral obesity and colorectal cancer: are we missing the boat with BMI?
Compared to subcutaneous fat, visceral fat is more metabolically active, leading to chronic inflammation and tumorigenesis. The aim of this study is to describe the effect of visceral obesity on colorectal cancer outcomes using computed tomography (CT) imaging to measure visceral fat. ⋯ This study shows that viscerally obese patients with stage II colorectal cancer are at higher risk for poor outcomes and should be increasingly considered for adjuvant chemotherapy.
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J. Gastrointest. Surg. · Jan 2013
High-grade dysplasia and adenocarcinoma are frequent in side-branch intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm measuring less than 3 cm on endoscopic ultrasound.
Surgical resection for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas has increased over the last decade. While IPMN with main duct communication are generally recommended for resection, indications for resection of side-branch IPMN (SDIPMN) have been less clear. We reviewed our single institutional experience with SDIPMN and indications for resection. ⋯ EUS is a helpful modality for the diagnostic evaluation of SDIPMN. Considering the high incidence of malignancy as well as high-grade dysplasia in SDIPMN greater than 2 cm, EUS features should be used in conjunction with other clinical criteria to guide management decisions. Patients with SDIPMN greater than 2 cm that do not undergo surgical resection may benefit from more intensive surveillance.
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J. Gastrointest. Surg. · Jan 2013
Financial implications of ventral hernia repair: a hospital cost analysis.
Complicated ventral hernias are often referred to tertiary care centers. Hospital costs associated with these repairs include direct costs (mesh materials, supplies, and nonsurgeon labor costs) and indirect costs (facility fees, equipment depreciation, and unallocated labor). Operative supplies represent a significant component of direct costs, especially in an era of proprietary synthetic meshes and biologic grafts. We aim to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of complex abdominal wall hernia repair at a tertiary care referral facility. ⋯ Ventral hernia repair is associated with overall financial losses. Inpatient synthetic mesh repairs are essentially budget neutral. Outpatient and inpatient repairs without mesh result in net financial losses. Inpatient biologic mesh repairs result in a negative contribution margin and striking net financial losses. Cost-effective strategies for managing ventral hernias in a tertiary care environment need to be developed in light of the financial implications of this patient population.
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J. Gastrointest. Surg. · Jan 2013
Quality assessment in pancreatic surgery: what might tomorrow require?
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) defines healthcare quality across six domains: safety, timeliness, effectiveness, patient centeredness, efficiency, and equitability. We asked experts in pancreatic surgery (PS) whether improved quality metrics are needed, and how they could align to contemporary IOM healthcare quality domains. ⋯ Experts in pancreatic surgery have significant consensus on 12 proposed metrics of quality that they view as both highly important and aligned with more than one IOM healthcare quality domain.
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J. Gastrointest. Surg. · Jan 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyA dual-institution randomized controlled trial of remnant closure after distal pancreatectomy: does the addition of a falciform patch and fibrin glue improve outcomes?
The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of two pancreatic remnant closure techniques following distal pancreatectomy: (1) stapled or sutured closure versus (2) stapled or sutured closure plus falciform patch and fibrin glue reinforcement in the setting of a prospective randomized trial, with the primary endpoint being pancreatic fistula. Pancreatic stump leak following left-sided pancreatic resection (distal pancreatectomy) remains common. Despite multiple and varied techniques for closure, the reported leak rate varies up to 30 %. A retrospective analysis by Iannitti et al. (J Am Coll Surg 203(6):857-864, 2006) detected a decreased leak rate in patients receiving a traditional closure buttressed with an autologous falciform ligament patch and fibrin glue. ⋯ The addition of a falciform ligament patch and fibrin glue to standard stapled or sutured remnant closure did not reduce the rate or severity of pancreatic fistula in patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00889213).